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How Much Do Parents Really Matter?

Kai Ryssdal and Stephen Dubner are both dads. They both hope to have an impact on the lives of their children. But these hopes exist in the face of data questioning how much parents really matter. This data comes, in part, from economists, who are asking bold questions like what happens when we randomly assign children to families? And why are college-educated mothers spending more time away from work, chauffering their kids around? Today on Marketplace, the answers to these questions and a new approach to parenting, endorsed by Dubner’s co-author Steve Levitt. Here’s a hint: you need a comfy couch.